Suit Envoy
by CannedAprixot
Summary: Matthew Williams, the Spadian Ace, is stuck between sides in an outbreak of war. He chooses to sacrifice himself in an attempt to stop the war between the Clubs and Spades. The ambassador of Spades, he fights against time. Big thanks to Yamoie for making this look less dumb.
1. Chapter 1

War. Absolute warfare. There was an outbreak of battle between the Spades and Clubs, and with luck, the Clubs attacked the Spade's castle. It was a sudden, strong attack, meant to kill the royal family then flee.

The Spades fought back with massive strength, but the Clubs out-matched them, killing their way to the throne room, where the king, Alfred, was. One spell could strip the kingdom of all its power, and it's king. Alfred was already in the fight, wounded and carrying a staggered walk. He was accompanied by his ace, Matthew Williams, head of the military, servant to the king.

"Let's end it here, Jones," The Clubs king, Ivan Braginski, along with his Queen and Ace, Elizabeta Hedervary, and Natalya Arlovskaya.

Alfred struggled to his feet, shaking away Matthew, who was trying to wrap his arm in a bandage.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy?!" Matthew nervously tried to talk Alfred down but dealt nothing.

"You'll never be able to take down the Spades, the Diamonds are on their way-" Alfred spoke through clenched teeth, grasping his shoulder tightly to stop the bleeding.

Ivan laughed, his tall figure looming over the two Spades, "You believe they'll help you? Their Jack doesn't even want to get involved with you, you believe that air-headed king will?"

Alfred didn't respond, and Matthew didn't bother either, they knew Ivan had a point.

"Ah, I bet it comes in the family. They're both useless and helpless." Natalya said in a cold voice, her face still emotionless.

The Queen laughed, "Good one. So then, shall I do it?"

Ivan smiled, still focusing on the Spadian King, "Yes. I believe so."

The Queen lifted her hand, exposing her palm to the King, "Don't worry, we'll make sure your Ace is right behind you."

The room glowed, Matthew opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

The Queen threw her hand, shooting a beam of glowing light at the King.

A sudden voice shouted, catching the eyes of both the Aces.


	2. Chapter 2

"Trfotrvy!"

Another blue figure stepped into the room, his hand outstretched.

The beam redirected, barely missing the Clubian Ace, who let out a sharp shriek.

"Arthur!" Matthew yelled to the Queen, who was still in fair shape.

Natalya was subdued by another familiar royal, the Jack, Yao. Yao held a wok from the kitchen, almost instantly knocking the Clubian's head military out.

Instantly, Matthew threw a pocket dagger at the King, missing, but for the mask of intimidation.

"I think this calls for a duel, between Queens." Arthur snickered, moving his body elegantly to dodge the opposing Queen's magic, yet attacking on his own.

The King was furious, glaring at the Spadian Ace.

Ivan drew his sword, charging at Matthew.

The Ace, skilled in fighting, topped with the Jack, made it fair game. Matthew weaved around the King, knocking an elbow beneath his arm, knocking into a pressure point, temporarily disabling an arm.

The Clubian King turned to his Queen, who was in obvious distress, "Run! I'll take Natalya-"

Yao shoved the Clubian King back, away from the King, who dropped his sword, and took the unconscious Ace and ran out of the throne room.

Matthew turned to his brother, Arthur already tending to him, "Is he alright?"

Matthew and Yao were out of breath, while Arthur barely shed a sweat during the fight.

"Yes, he'll be fine. Though, when me and Yao left to find you, we abandoned the guards because we couldn't see the Ace. They might still be in trouble." Arthur said, propping the King up while tending to him.

"I'll go check up on them." The Jack said, hurrying off with his wok.

"I'll go make sure the King is really running," The Ace said, turning to leave, but stopped behind Yao.

"No need, they're gone." A member of the royal family, with his clothes rather messy, Leon, appeared.

"Aiyaa, look at you!" The Jack started brushing down Leon's clothes and hair, which left a face on Leon between annoyance and his regular, emotionless one.


	3. Chapter 3

Matthew struggled to sleep that night; any noise or bird call outside felt like another attack by the Clubs. He slept with a constant ache in his head, worried that anything could happen to him and his family.

How would the Spades fare if the Clubs attacked again? Would he be able to stop them? After all, he was probably only the Head of Military because of pity from his brother.

The Clubs could easily crush all of the Spades under their feet, just like they did to the Star Kingdom. If he didn't act immediately, the balance of all the Kingdoms could be overthrown.  
Matthew carried himself out of bed, his eyes adjusting to the dark room. Almost immediately, he trips over a stray object on the floor.  
"Agh!" Matthew rubbed his head, getting up.

His hand running along the bedside table, searching for his glasses.

He grabbed at different things he wondered why would be on his table, then finally grasps a familiar frame.

Shuffling around to fit the pair of glasses on his face, Matthew sat back onto the bed.  
"Matthew?" Alfred peered in through the doorway.  
"Alfred? What are you doing?" Matthew jerked up, quickly pushing the slender glasses around his face.  
"I could ask you the same question..."  
"I asked you first."  
"Well- I... I'm worried,"  
Matthew walked up to Alfred, bringing him into an embrace without any words spoken.  
Alfred returns the hug as tight as if he could lose his only brother.  
"So... what are you worried about?"  
"About the Kingdom..." Alfred dropped his hands at his sides, looking at his feet.

Matthew lets Alfred go, retracing his steps, putting distance between the siblings.  
"What? We're going to be fine- We're the Spades, after all!" Matthew smiled brightly, even when that wasn't exactly what Alfred was talking about.  
"I don't want to lose more people I care about... like Arthur." Alfred looked at his own palm, like he did something horrible.

Matthew's heart dropped. For once, he felt like he was cared about.

"A-and Ivan..." Alfred spoke up again, which threw Matthew off guard.

"Like, you're worried about the Clubs?" Matthew was genuinely confused at this point, he never expected Alfred to come to him to vent.

Alfred didn't respond, but gave Matthew a skeptical look.

"I have a plan." Matthew spoke up confidently, ridding the still room of its silence.

"What? What is it?" Alfred perked up, seemed to regain his hope.

"We'll get the Hearts and Diamonds to back us up!" Matthew's eyes seemed to shine, proud of himself for bringing up the idea, holding Alfred's hands like a cheery little girl.

"How? That'll be nearly impossible, that, if Clubs don't get to them first..." Alfred turned, as to leave.

"I'll go-" Matthew responded, met with a shocked, or angry, Matthew couldn't tell in the dim light.

"What?! Are you insane?! I'm not letting you leave!" Alfred scrunched his eyebrows, he did care about Matthew's wellbeing, at least.

"Well, if we stay here we're all dying."

Alfred his mouth to speak up, but nothing came out. He turned, looking back to the door.

Matthew smiled, a tear collecting in his eye.

"... Where are you going first?" Alfred spoke up after a while, surprising Matthew at first.

"Well, I could try to go to the Diamonds first, since they're closer."

"But you know how they love helping the Clubs, it's basically a lost cause," Alfred shrugged, turning back to face his brother.

"That was years ago, even then, we all basically had something against the Star Kingdom."

Alfred leaned against the wall, looking down to the ground as he crossed his arms.

"And if the Hearts hear about how the Diamonds decided to help us, they'll probably help us too. We were all allies before, why not again?" Matthew outstretched his arms, walking around to the stubborn King.

"Well, yeah! We were all allies before- but you know what happened? The Clubs just _had_ to destroy the Star Kingdom! We all could have avoided this if it wasn't for them! We might of not liked the Star Kingdom, but that didn't mean we had to destroy it completely!" Alfred grew angrier, his shouting bring Matthew back down to Earth.

With an irritated sigh, Alfred spoke again, "Whatever. If you feel bringing us all back together is more important than me, then go ahead. I don't care anymore."

Matthew watched in horror as Alfred turned on his heels, walking out of his room, and shutting the door loudly behind him. Matthew wanted to run after him, but grew salty as he felt Alfred didn't have the authority to throw him out that way. He wasn't going to say sorry, why should he?

He started packing enough supplies to land him at a town. He wasn't going to stay anywhere near the palace, though.


	4. Chapter 4

Instead of a tear rolling down his face as he looked behind him, at the towering place he called home, he rode his suited horse out of the palace property, into the town, with anger again his brother.

He refused to talk to Alfred before leaving, he had "spoken" with his friend, or pet, bear, Kumajiro. Kumajiro had a special white coating, and was a gift from one of his mentors, Arthur, the Queen. Calling the animal a different name each time, Matthew didn't know if it was out of spite, but the bear would always get his name wrong in return. Other than the animal, he didn't say anything to anybody else.

The Spadian Ace rode into the night, unknown of when he would return. The quiet steps of the horse's hooves against the stone, lonely roads.

He looked to the sky, letting out a sigh, then continued to plan out his trip.

He would travel east until he hit the ocean, then he would go north along the coast. Matthew would try to stay near the train of towns along the sea to avoid walking in nowhere. He would make it to the Capital of Diamonds and try to gain their help. Succeeding or not, he'd have to go east to the Hearts' Kingdom, and try to get their help.

Matthew rode far into town, though the air still rung quiet.

Occasionally, people ran by, though Matthew wasn't going to ask why.

He stopped at a lit household, a small, cozy cottage, peeking inside through a fogged window.

He saw two young boys playing with each other. It was so simple, yet jut out to him so easily. Matthew watched with a warm smile, recalling times where Alfred would play with Matthew, but those were only memories. Simply memories. It was just that.

Though, Matthew couldn't push away the grief within his heart, the hole that just kept growing. Someone, Alfred, who has been there his entire life, turning him away like it was nothing. Alfred always said all he did was for Matthew, but now, Matthew started to doubt it. Alfred didn't care for him at all, and it hurt Matthew endlessly to think about. A lump in his throat, more

Rain started falling, causing distortion looking through the window. Matthew's smile faded, his eyes filled with sadness as the boys were called back, out of sight from Matthew.

Matthew jerked back, tripping over his own feet, falling back into his horse.

Collecting himself, Matthew saddled back on his horse, taking one look at the small house with the two boys before riding off.

His eyebrows arched as he continued to picture his life before, with his brother. Alfred treated Matthew as if he was all he had, they've stuck with each other since the beginning, but Alfred still ended up treating Matthew like a stool. Matthew questioned if he was a tool, or family, to Alfred. Though he constantly tried to convince himself blood is thicker than water, he could never truly rid himself from thinking badly of his brother.

Matthew had stopped and rested for the rest of the night, he wanted to stock up before leaving the town completely.

He entered the market, though he wasn't noticed by anyone, even if he was the Ace of their own kingdom.

The busy streets, the talk of business over covered tables of an assortment of items.

Matthew avoided hitting people rushing from the market, both going in, and out.

He stopped at a stand selling a variety of fruits, and ended up seeing a familiar court member.

"Mei?" Matthew spoke up to gain her attention, by his luck, she noticed him.

"Oh! Matthew! I-I heard about what happened- I hope you're doing alright- and you're relationship with King Alfred is getting better." Mei laughed nervously, still surprised to see Matthew out of the palace, even.

"Yeah, I'm doing fine, I'm just angry at Alfred, still..." Matthew said, tensing up as he spoke about Alfred.

"Awh, well, I have to finish up my chores, I'll see you around, maybe?" Mei said, looking back to Matthew after collecting her things.

"Actually, no, I'm going to the other kingdoms," Matthew said awkwardly, scratching the back of his scalp.

"Oh…" Mei looked back to the collection of items she was storing away, then turned, waving, walked away.

Matthew nodded, continuing to walk into town, the opposite direction of where Mei went.

In the corner of his eye, Matthew caught a poster, loosely hanging on the stone wall.

" _Scavengers"_ it read, in messy, handwritten writing.

 _Scavengers?_

" _Scavengers, living in the abandoned, wasteland north of the Spades land, propose threat to the people of nearby area.-"_

"...What?" Matthew stared, wide eyed, refusing to read more. Scavengers? For how long?

" _For years, these stragglers have ravaged the land of the Spades, yet the royal family isn't taking action. All hope is lost, the Spades will be weakened by the Scavengers, and the Royal Family will help it happen. The Royal Family is corrupted._

 _Да здравствует король Иван."_

 _This is… this is all lies! There is no Scavengers, beyond the towns, there was peace!_

Matthew felt outraged, yet grief. The writing at the end of the letter, it was… different, yet, he felt as if he's seen it before.

Something wasn't right.


	5. Chapter 5

"Arthur, you needed me?" Alfred peeked in through the tiny crack of the open door to Arthur's study. Restless nights where Arthur would spend in this quiet, little room. Now, was like no other night.

"Yes, now, you see my hand?" Arthur refused to look from his desk, but stook a palm open to show to Alfred.

"Uh- Arthur?" Alfred walked up to Arthur, standing behind his Queen.

Arthur slowly rose from his chair, looking to face Alfred with tired eyes.

 _Slap!_

Arthur's cloak gently settled back down at his side, his arm struck out to be brought hard against Alfred's face.

"... What… were… you thinking?!" Arthur lashed out, scolding to Alfred, grabbing the collar of the King's shirt.

Alfred found no words to respond to Arthur with, and stood there.

"You let your _brother_ go out on his own- through the _scavengers?!"_ Arthur yelled again, each word he spilled seeping through Alfred's skull. Alfred let his anger get through him with Matthew, he forgot his humanity.

Arthur paused. Leaning his head against Alfred's chest, letting the room run quiet. It sent shivers down Alfred's spine, the uneasy mood of the air, how unpredictable Arthur was being.

"Bloody Christ-" Arthur jerked back, as if a sudden realization hit him.

"...for a house divided cannot stand-" Arthur started mumbling under his breath, his grip on Alfred's shoulder tightening as Arthur's whole body shuddered.

"One will rise against the thirst for power,

For the kingdoms to balance or to be devoured,

And when the hearth is scorched with the blood of all,

The villain shall live and the hero shall fall-"

Arthur stared at Alfred, both frozen still.

Arthur raced passed Alfred, throwing the door open as he yelled for Yao.

Alfred snapped back into reality.

 _The blood of all- the hero shall fall?_

The air grew still, Alfred's ears rang with the thundering thoughts of his own mind. Who will die? Will he?

Alfred gripped the edge of his coat, his hands grasping at the thick fabric, digging his fingernails into the material.

 _What is going to happen?_

Dry leaves crumbled under Matthew's shoes as he trekked on to the Diamonds kingdom.

Matthew held a smile to his face as he moved on. The dawn shine lighting the coastline. His travel met no disruptions yet, as Matthew thought originally, no scavengers. Though, it was unsettling how there was a lessening amount of towns the further he went, he could spy boats in the distance, though he would only see them up close when they were stationed at docks.

Even being in the attire of the Royal Family, and being the Ace of their own Kingdom, nobody seemed to recognize Matthew or his ranking. Matthew had shrugged it off as being nothing originally.

Every night, morning, noon passed, was more time which Matthew had doubted himself. The land grew more arid, nobody in sight for miles.

"Put your hands up, and you don't get shot."

Matthew slowly rose his hands, eyes widening to the unfamiliar voice. It seemed… cheery almost, and unfitting for the situation.

"Put them behind your back."

Another voice sounded, cold, sending shivers down Matthew's back, unsettling Matthew further.

There were multiple people, and they didn't sound friendly.

Obliging to the stranger's terms, Matthew's hands were tied behind his back.

"We really hit jackpot- we found _royalty._ "

To the worst of Matthew's luck, another voice. Matthew didn't know how many were there, he believed there were going to be more, anyway.

Blinded, bounded, and gagged, Matthew was brought inland, not in the direction he needed to go, to say the least.

The travel seemed like forever, though these men rode on horseback instead of traveling on foot. Now, Matthew had no idea where he was, in the clearing of barren land of scavengers.

The sound of hooves against the dry dirt came quiet. Slowly, Matthew heard the scavengers unpack, and he was taken from the horse, and lead into a tent.

"What are you doing?! That's a Spadian!" an angered voice spoke up, from what Matthew could tell, he was younger than the rest of the scavengers.

"What, are we not supposed to take them?" a deeper, probably an older man, said back, yet his voice was calm, almost cold. Matthew heard this voice before and knew it was the same person to tell him to put his hands behind his back.

"Yeah! Y-you know why!" the younger voice retorted, though his voice grew quieter towards the end of his sentence.

Matthew held his elbows near his chest, still worried. Though, now he was confused about the situation.

He was pushed down by a strong hand, being seated in a creaking chair.

The band around his eyes was unwrapped, blinding him as he finally saw the light.


	6. Chapter 6

Matthew looked around him eagerly, looking to the scavengers with frantic, scared eyes.

The deep voice probably belonged to the tall, straight-faced figure standing behind him.

Matthew's heart stopped beating when he first saw the figure behind him. He jumped, throwing himself over the edge of the chair, sending his still tied figure onto the ground.

The air was quiet until Matthew groaned from the pain sent through his body at the impact with the ground.

Matthew's head perked up when he heard a snicker. When he looked up, he saw a rather younger boy, compared to the taller figure. The boy had pure, white hair, and purple eyes, just like his own.

Continuing to look around, Matthew saw 3 others, a tall, happy looking man with an extremely tall hairstyle, a man with a neutral expression, standing in between the taller, happy man, and the teen, and another happy man, standing on the other side of Matthew, the side he fell into. Peering directly up to see the man staring down at him with the same happy expression, Matthew realized the man was still pointing a gun at him.

At first, Matthew was startled but was held down against the ground by the ropes and his own bodyweight.

"Emil?"

 _Another_ voice spoke up, Matthew couldn't turn to see who it was, though it seemed… familiar.

"A-ah!" the teen, as Matthew identified as Emil, raced around him to probably meet with the new voice.

Matthew couldn't listen hard enough to hear the conversation, as he looked back to the other scavengers.

Then it hit him.

These scavengers seemed familiar, too, but Matthew couldn't put his finger on it _who_ they were.

"Emil? Why is Matthew here?"

Matthew perked in response to his name, desperately trying to turn his body over.

Matthew's eyes bagged, constantly falling in and out of focus. Finally, he caught a full glimpse of who was there.

A member of his own royal family, of course, Leon.

"Leon?" Matthew piped up, drawing the attention of the fellow scavengers.

They all stared at each other in a collective confusion.

"Emil, can you untie him, please?" Leon broke the silence with his signature monotone voice.

Emil nodded, rushing over to untie Matthew until the taller, obnoxious man stepped before Emil.

"Woah, Woah, _Woah._ You're just going to untie our prisoner just because of what your boyfriend said?" The man said, propping his hands on his hips, protruding his chest defiantly.

Emil was at a loss for words, staring up at the man. It took a moment for the teen to process what he said.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Emil said all he could muster, looking around for support from others.

The dead-pan framed man shrugged, walking behind the obnoxious blond, and untying Matthew.

Matthew mumbled a thank you, rubbing his wrists as he propped himself upwards.

Leon pulled Emil back, whispering something into the other's ear, then walked to Matthew.

Leon pulled Matthew up, leading him away from the scavengers.

"So what happened to going to the Diamonds?" Leon asked, staring out into the barren land of dead brush and hills.

Matthew scratched the back of his neck anxiously, "I- uh…"

Leon nodded, turning back to face Matthew, "I can get you out of this mess, but you're on your own after that."

Leon perked up, "Oh yeah, and those are Tino, Berwald, Emil, Lukas, and Mathias, don't you remember them? From the Star Kingdom?"

"You still haven't really explained why you're hanging around with-"

"Leon! Matthew! Get in here! The Diamonds are here!"


	7. Chapter 7

An angry shout sounded, along with the Tino appearing from the tent, holding a sawed-off shotgun, and a long distance sniper rifle strapped around his back.

Leon grabbed Matthew's arm roughly, dragging him down the hill the tent was on, constantly turning back to see where the others were.

"Leon? Why are the Diamonds here? Aren't we still on Spadian territory?" Matthew let Leon lead him away without resistance.

Leon didn't respond, he just pushed Matthew's head down and watched Lukas come down the same path

"They're surrounding us." Lukas spoke up, his voice steady and quiet, despite the chaos surrounding the hill, "They're going to kill all of us."

"Where's Emil?" Leon asked first, looking at Lukas with a saddened gaze.

"He's still up there- I don't know where, though…" Lukas didn't return the royal's look, fiddling with something in his coat.

Leon jumped up, running back up the hill, with Matthew calling after him.

Lukas frowned, "Is he asking for a death wish?" He mumbled under his breath, though Matthew was able to hear.

Gunfire had come closer and the smell of gunpowder had become more prominent.

Smoke and ash reached up into the clouds, stinging Matthew's nostrils as he tried to look for the other scavengers.

Matthew wanted to cover his ears as the gunshots rung for miles.

There was constant yelling, and Matthew couldn't distinguish whose voice belonged to who.

"Lukas! Matthew! Come up here, quick!" A voice called them two back up, but the voice cracked with uneasiness.

The two rushed up the hill as fast as they could, as well trying to conceal themselves as they ran.

Matthew's eyes immediately widened as he saw it.

Blood.

So. Much. Blood.

His eyes seemed to stick to the crumpled, small body that belonged to his friend.

"He's dead."

Berwald said, his voice still and cold, though Matthew's thoughts became louder than thunder.

Leon's contorted body was bent in a way that hid his face, his shaggy hair disheveled, scattered along the ground. Dark blood stained his once electric blue jacket.

Matthew couldn't seem to look away, death, war, was this it? Matthew wanted to run, his mind ached for the relief of returning home, yet his feet held still, his entire body falling like a stone. He felt his knees buckle from underneath him, hurtling him to the dusty, blood-soaked ground.

Matthew didn't notice when the Diamonadian soldiers tackled and captured the scavengers, as well as Leon's limp, distorted body and Matthew, seeming oblivious that he was royalty.

The wagon rocked and jumped over the uneven desert terrain as the six men sat in complete silence for the rest of the trip.


	8. Chapter 8

The cart rocked harshly, transitioning from the uneven, dusty ground, to a paved, smoother road. Matthew lurched forward, waking from his slumber.

He looked over, his shoulder resting against the side of the cart. He spotted the tall, dead-panning man, Berwald. Berwald was overlooking the one next to him, Tino. It was a surprise to see Tino look so helpless, despite Tino being the main gunman in the fight.

On the opposite side to Matthew, there was Emil, Lukas, and Mathias.

Lukas was starting right at him.

Startled, Matthew let out a quiet, high-pitched squeak. Lukas frowned, putting a finger from his iron-cuffed hand against his lips. Lukas nodded to Emil, sleeping against his shoulder.

In a low voice, Lukas whispered over to Matthew, "He's had a hard time sleeping."

Next to Lukas, Mathias was snoring loudly. Matthew didn't know if Emil had trouble because of Mathias's snoring, but later dismissed the dumb idea. He knew why Emil had trouble sleeping.

Matthew looked through a crack in the cart, where a slim string of light filtered in.

It was almost like a whole new world, the houses decorated in bright colors and designs, versus the formal, still-life look of the Spadian Kingdom.

Each house had a similar design- brown boards decorating the plain white walls of the house, while also supporting the structure.

 _This must be the Diamond Kingdom…_

Banners were strung above streets and flowers were set up everywhere, no corner of the town wasn't more than 3 colors. The mountains were a beautiful background to the houses.

Chills were sent down Matthew's spine, goosebumps rippling across his arms. Not only was it much colder than No Man's Land, but Matthew saw the tall, beautiful, yet menacing castle in the distance.

Even though he could faintly see the defining features of the grand castle, he could still tell that intricate designs lined and marked the entire body of the building.

Matthew whispered to no one in particular, eyes still locked on the castle. He had no idea what the King would do.  
He had never known the king personally, but his Queen, Arthur, had definitely told Matthew about him before.

Matthew thought hard- remembering how the King was named "Francis Bonnefoy," but nothing much after that. Matthew assumed the King was to be feared, after all, how could they have this much wealth? And taking the scavengers and himself from Spadian territory?

Matthew tried to vanquish the thoughts from taking over his mind, but the image still lingered in the back of his mind.

* * *

Before long, Matthew could see the castle fully, as it towered so many feet above him. It was much taller than the Spadian's, maybe older. Though, Matthew couldn't tell how much space of the castle was actually used.

A heavy hinge was dropped, letting a large, wooden gate open. It let out a long, loud creak.

A large gust of cool air drifting through the thin planks of the cart and Matthew saw Emil noticeably shudder, hugging closer to Luka's arm.

As the cart jolted back into movement, Matthew lurched in his seat, throwing himself against the wall of the cart. He heard a soft clink as a small, metal item fell, hitting his foot as it slid against the floor of the cart.

 _A locket?_ Matthew thought, turning his body so that he could pick up the item from the floor, while not looking too suspicious.

Matthew shrugged, shifting his aching shoulders, slipping the locket under his coat, into a back pocket.

Matthew looked around to see if anyone had seen what he was doing. When he looked, Lukas was looking straight at him. It made Matthew jump, then Lukas nodded, turning away once more.

Matthew let out a sigh of relief, leaning back against the wall, attempting to sleep, despite the sudden jolts and rocks of the cart over stone.


	9. Chapter 9

The prisoners were let out of the cart in a line, leading them into a corridor. Matthew was astonished, the walls were a beautiful, rich gold color. Pictures, as Matthew assumed were past royalty, were hung in a neat pattern along the wall.

Dread soon fell over Matthew as he was pulled from his head, glancing back to see the scavengers, heads hung low, walking with chains connecting their hands.

Matthew was in the front of the line, being able to see more of the scenery.

They were lead into a second room, what Matthew thought striking like the Spadian meeting room, where people not allowed beyond the castle, would meet higher-ups for business, and such.

There, he saw a crowd of people. Guards, wearing fancy outfits and armor, were trying to divide the crowd from the center of the attention.

Once the crowd of people was dispersed, Matthew got a glimpse of _who_ was there.

A handsome, stronger formed man dressed in the finest of jewelry and an outfit that was surely very expensive.

The prison guards seemed very surprised as the man started walking over to the line of prisoners.

"My Lord, sir!" One of the guards said, bowing their head down as the prisoners perked up.

"Now, now, don't be like that, Francis is fine~"

 _Wait._

 _ **Francis?**_

Matthew almost felt his soul leave his body as Francis glanced to him.

Francis contorted his face like he was trying to recall a memory from the back of his head.

"You."

Francis pointed to Matthew, looking to the guards expectantly.

The guards hesitated, then proceeded to unlock Matthew's handcuffs.

"Aren't you… Arthur's kid?" Francis questioned, leaning in to inspect Matthew.

Matthew felt his heart in his throat, "Kid? He's my… mentor, if that's what you mean…"

Francis jumped back, "Yes! Apprentice. You're Arthur's? About yay-high, eyebrows about this thick?"

Francis raised his hand, flattening it at his shoulders, then opening his palm, exaggerating.

Matthew chuckled awkwardly, nodding, "Yeah, and my brother is Alfred."

Francis slapped himself in the head, "Of course! Alfred- the King- yes. You're Matthew. Alfred's your _brother._ "

Matthew slowly nodded, unable to find words to respond with.

Francis looked behind Matthew, seeing the collection of prisoners once in the cart.

Francis squinted at Matthew, then the guards.

"Why is my Matthew here in this line of prisoners?"

The guards struggled to find words, looking from the King to Matthew, then back to the King.

"And those men- They're old royalty from the Star Kingdom, as well," Francis put out a hand, rubbing his stubble as he continued to look through the line.

 _I wasn't seeing things! So they were old royalty, as well..._

Francis let out a sigh, looking to the guards, "Send the royalty with me, I'll decide what to do with them."

"Even the Star Kingdom?"

"Even the Star Kingdom."

 _Oh, yeah, the Star Kingdom fell because of them._

The two guards proceeded to unlock the rest of the "royalty's" cuffs.

The scavengers rubbed their wrists, red marks left from where the locks sat.

Francis beckoned the freed prisoners over with a hand, a charming smile painting his features.

Matthew trusted Francis and followed him. Matthew looked back, curious about why the Scavengers didn't do the same.

Lukas held a scowl, staring past Matthew and at Francis. He held Emil protectively under his arm, yet for once, Emil didn't seem to mind. Emil was wandering off in his own thoughts, drowned by sorrow of what happened only days ago.

Matthias seemed to follow lead of Lukas, holding his ground, yet he didn't seem as angry at Francis.

Though the others held their ground, Berwald, as well as Tino, continued after Matthew.

Francis clapped his hands with glee, leading the three men out of the main room.


	10. Chapter 10

Matthew followed in front of the Scavengers, as they didn't want anything to do with the Diamonds, but it was charity they were forced to take.

Francis looked back, letting Matthew catch up to him. Francis slung an arm around Matthew's neck, slowing the line down as he leisured with Matthew.

"My son, how have those pesky Spades treated you?" Francis wooed Matthew, his voice toned obnoxiously.

"Son?" Matthew asked, but brushed it off with a shrug, "They're nice, after all, they're the only family I have."

Francis stopped, stepping in front of Matthew, "Oh, _Mathieu,_ you always have my support. Always."

Matthew nodded with a smile, "Thank you…?"

Francis showed a charming face in return, "Anytime, _son._ "

Matthew had brushed off Francis's use of "son", though the thought was stuck in his head, was Francis serious?

Matthew didn't stop to realize the Scavengers weren't following him and Francis any longer.

A worried thought grew as his stomach dropped, Matthew felt his feet fall heavy, and his blood run cold.

"Mathieu, are you alright?" Francis splayed a worried look, looking back to Matthew, but Matthew didn't turn to face him.

Matthew started to nod, but his actions slowed. His half-hearted nod rolled into him frantically shaking his head in a 'no.'

Francis hurried back to meet Matthew, "You look shaken, do you need to rest?"

Matthew mumbled something, then said it once again, raising his voice, "Where did they go?"

"W-what?" Francis responded, unclear to whether he didn't hear Matthew, or he didn't understand.

" _Where. Did. They. Go?"_

Francis smirked, "Oh your friends? They're just going somewhere else in the palace, this wing is only reserved for _royalty._ "

Matthew felt a snarl grow on his face, but he forced it down, he shouldn't get angry about this. It may just be a misunderstanding.

Matthew swallowed, his breath returning to normal. The mix of emotions he felt before faded away, now, all he could notice was the _expensive_ aroma from Francis's cologne.

Matthew felt goosebumps ripple along his skin, as the thoughts continued to slip back into his mind, then he would settle once again. The process repeated continuously, and Matthew simply felt anxious.

Francis led him down a brightly decorated corridor, similar to the ones he had already passed.

Francis stopped at a door, opening it to reveal an enormous room, set with a bed, tables, paintings, and of the such. Matthew had assumed this was where he was staying. As Matthew kept staring, he noticed smaller details, it made him think about how extravagant Francis's room would be.

"We stop here, Mathieu, talk to people, meet for dinner later on- at 6." Francis winked, turning on his heels, Matthew's eyes following his elegant stride.

Matthew entered the room, closing the door with a soft click.

His room compared to this was nothing, despite this room being merely a guest room, as he assumed. So much effort from so many people must have been put into this room, only for it to be used a small handful of times. It made Matthew's heart sink.

 _Dinner at 6, huh? The dinner hall? He assumes me to know all of this…_

Matthew shook his head, clearing the remaining thoughts about the room or dinner or Francis.

He wandered the room, arriving at the closet. Out of curiosity, he opened the closet. It was filled with similar outfits, all with the same color scheme. These outfits were dazzled with embroidery and gems.

Matthew couldn't _possibly_ wear this- it was all way too expensive- he'd just ruin it.

"Mr. Williams? Dinner is soon… I was told to prepare you?" A small voice, a younger royal peeked into the room.

"A-ah, yes, alright." Matthew shuffled around, closing the closet behind him.

Matthew learned that this unique woman was named Michelle, and she was a foreigner who became the agricultural advisor for the kingdom. Michelle had been popular among the people, as she still had her young charm.

Matthew was properly dressed now, his taste of clothing from the Spadian kingdom now blended in the Diamondian kingdom's culture.

Matthew followed the same caretaker down a series of halls, wide corridors lined with flourishing wall designs and expensive decor.

Matthew couldn't help but whisper to himself his amazement every turn, it was such a different world inside this castle.

They stopped at a set of large doors, engraved with beautiful swirls, yet almost calming, as the whole sight was a soft, warm brown.

They entered the door, the soft ring of kitchen working hitting Matthew's ears. The room was much grander than the entire kingdom of Spades- dozens of bright lights shining throughout the huge hall, the usual, bright yellows and oranges immediately catching Matthew's attention.

Each second he continued to stare, he would notice intricate details of every part of the room, enormous murals painted at the top of the room, chandeliers cascading from the center of the lighter brown roof.

"Mr. Williams, this way…" Michelle lead him around the back of the room, towards a set of large seats, in which Matthew assume to be the royal family's.

Michelle pulled one of the chairs at the side of the table out, right next to the tallest, fanciest seat.

She nodded towards Matthew, who promptly sat in the chair as signaled.


	11. Chapter 11

Matthew had learned who the rest of the people seated were, as these people were very diverse in looks and attitude.

The names Matthew had recognized- or the people most important- were the King, of course, Francis, the Queen, Lilli, the Jack, Vash, and the Ace, Antonio. The woman that helped him was the Agricultural Advisor- or the person that brought him to the Dinner Hall and helped him prior, Michelle. Other court members were Bella, the Head Royal Cook, and the Royal Diplomat, Abel.

These people were the "higher-ups" of the Kingdom, even if their first role didn't seem so "superior," such as the Royal Cook, but she still held a very high political stance among the bunch.

In the end, the dinner wasn't bothersome, it certainly was needed, as Matthew went without eating "royally" in a long while.

Matthew did sign up for this, he knew what he was getting at. He understood the fact he would be away from his family, and all his normal schedules, it was for the sake of the Kingdoms, after all.

One thing bugged him occasionally in the time- what had happened to the Scavengers? Matthew guessed that Emil was still under shock, he must have been close to Leon. Though, curiosity rippled in his blood to as why Leon was visiting the Scavengers. Matthew just missed his chance to ask.

Matthew had the chance to ask around, and he took it. He didn't bother trying to introduce himself to guests or generally the people he didn't know- he just asked about the routes to the Hearts Kingdom.

" _Mathieu,_ are you sure you want to leave? The Hearts- they wouldn't treat you right, stay with us, just for a while?" Francis pried, trying to ease up to Matthew, as he would any guest or higher figure.

"Mr. Bonnefoy, I really can't- there's a war going on, I can't doddle around in each kingdom. I have to do my job," Matthew felt tempted but knew he couldn't stay.

Matthew sighed, "I'm just here to discuss politics, not hook up with anyone- or something along that sort."

Francis shook his head, "It's never good to run on a mind like that- you _do_ take off of Arthur, sheesh."

Francis whispered something under his breath, something unclear to Matthew's ears.

Francis finally gave in, his shoulders hung in defeat, "Fine, I'll organize a meeting just for you, it'll be tomorrow, sometime tomorrow. I'll send Michelle to tell you the details."

Francis waved a hand, dismissing Matthew as he would any servant. Matthew guessed he did this for everyone.

Matthew turned on his heels, heading back to his room awkwardly.

That night Matthew struggled to fall asleep. He felt he had unfinished business at this Kingdom, much more than politics at heart.

When Michelle came to tell Matthew the details of the meeting that had come up, Matthew tried to get some sort of information out of her.

"Sir, I don't know anything about the Scavengers- are you sure they're at this castle?" Michelle said, shuffling her feet.

Matthew raised an eyebrow, "You don't think an _Ace_ would know when someone is lying?"

That seemed to shock Michelle the most, as confirmed, these Diamonds sure liked to underestimate their enemy.

"I-I really- really don't know what's going on, F-Francis didn't tell me anything, I swear!" Michelle seemed to try very hard to push the attention to Francis since she didn't know what Matthew was capable of.

Honestly, Matthew wouldn't hurt a fly- but he'd carve a mountain when it comes down to protecting his family, in this case, the Scavengers. Even though Matthew didn't know these group of people for a significant amount of time, he felt his dignity sworn to them, as if he owed them something.

Matthew was flying by a string, he didn't know if Michelle did know where they were, or if she could be manipulated this easily, or anything beyond that. Though, he was down to take chances at this point.

"Take me to the jail."


	12. Chapter 12

Michelle was scared out of her skin, half of Matthew's threats, and of what Francis would tell her later. She overheard about the Scavengers, and when caught, Francis scolded her harshly. Francis seemed keen on keeping the location of the Scavengers a secret.

As she leads the blond down the darker stairs, the echo of chains rocking against the stone walls seemed louder than ever. Her ears boomed. Her skin crawled- her blood turned to ice. Nobody really went down here, the job was reserved to lowly servants and guards.

The room was dimly lit by candles since no windows were installed _underground._

Matthew kept a firm grip on her shoulder, for sheer intimidation.

 _Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod Francis is going to_ kill _me._

Michelle felt tears welling in her eye, but she collected herself and continued. She just had to give Matthew the location of the Scavengers, then she could be done.

The steps stopped going down, her feet finally hit even ground. Empty, filthy jail cells lined both of her sides, and Matthew blocked her escape backward.

Michelle's hands trailed to her hair tips, twisting the thick strands between slender, dark fingers. Her hair was tied to the side of her head, pushed beneath her earlobes in pigtails. Her hair neatly complemented her features, the darker shade of brown fitting nicely to her skin.

Matthew was completely different, his kingdom was less diverse than the Diamonds- pale, white skin, and bright blond hair. Of course, there would be differences in each kingdom, but the Diamonds were one huge melting pot.

Michelle had an idea where in the dungeon the Scavengers were held, but even Francis wouldn't say specifics out loud. She just had to try to find it as fast as she could, or faster than it would take for them to find the two missing.

Her shoulders perked up, the cool air running down her thin, yellow dress.

Then she heard it, a sickly cough that echoed throughout the tunnels. It was quiet, yet loud enough to hear for miles down there.

Michelle felt her goosebumps rest, as she messily pinpointed with the direction the echo came from.

Matthew seemed to catch it as well, gaining an interest in it as well. Looking at Michelle, she decided to go faster.

Michelle felt her shoes skid against stone as she rushed over to the next set of jail cells.

And there they were, except a new visitor was there- and they didn't look like they were from the Diamonds.

Michelle started to panic, recognizing the color scheme, trying to push back the way she came.

"Oi!"

Matthew paused, feeling slightly more comfortable, which was odd. This figure had a _Spadian_ accent. Matthew came to become familiar with the tone from his mentor, and his family.

The voice was high, sounding like a child's. Odd that a child would be running around in the dungeon. Michelle didn't recognize them either, which set off alarms for Matthew.

"What are you doin' locking up my family?!"

Matthew could see the man- the _boy's_ face after he stepped into the candlelight.

 _Family? The Scavengers?_ Michelle thought, still eager to get out of the way for this child. She managed to shift behind Matthew, clinging against his back.

The boy had a cap shielding blond hair, his outfit all black and whites. It wasn't ringing a bell, and the style was very different to what he was used to. It was very… _dark._ At least for his age, that is.

This boy twirled a small, shiny tool in his hand. His thick eyebrows scrunched inwards, his eyes stabbing daggers into Matthew's softer complexion.

The boy gasped, "YOU! Aren't you that stupid Spadian King?"

Both Michelle and Matthew became confused, then Matthew felt his heart drop, "I'm the Ace- not the King."

The boy retreated, letting out a flat "oh."

He twirled a long, slender tendril from his back. It was jet black, coming out into a spear-like arrowhead at the end. Was it for a show? Matthew couldn't tell.

The boy looked at his bare wrist, pulling a black sleeve in the process. The "tendril" twisted and waved in the air- on its own. It weaved through the air faster and faster, as the boy's face grew in an angered look. Though being a child, he didn't come off as menacing.

"Well, guess I gotta go, buddy-pal Gilbert needs me, cya!" The boy disappeared, warping the air and light around him and simply evaporating. It was a type of magic Matthew or Michelle had never seen before.

Essence- or leftover particles from the teleportation were left behind to dwell in the air, before the particles lost their glow, and disappeared in the darkness.

Michelle stopped for a second, as Matthew continued to the locked gate of the jail cell, ignoring Michelle. She paused, trying to comprehend what happened. A sign of a joker was never something good. Did they just happen to mess with the wrong family?

Matthew searched around the cell, trying to find some sign of lock he could pick, or find a key to.

"Matthew," a raspy, cold voice sounded from in the cell, "the locket."

Matthew managed to recognize the voice, it was Lukas's.

"What?"

"Look what's inside that locket," Lukas responded again, his voice still, quiet.

Matthew shuffled through his pocket, though it was a new outfit, he had moved his sack of belongings. Loosening the mouth of the sack, he picked up the main body of a silver locket, one he was familiar with since the trip.

The locket clicked open with some force, and Matthew was able to peer inside.

There was a small, round picture to the shape of the oval locket. A tanned skinned, brown-headed man with his hair secluded in a small ponytail to the side of his neck. The man seemed to be young at that point, but the yellow tint showed the picture to be older. At that time, he looked younger than Arthur but older than Matthew.

He held a small child, one with a similar face to his own, shorter brown hair, yet it carried more volume. The child was very cheerful, clinging to the man. The child was very young, and he assumed them to be family, because of their relevance.

On the opposite side of the locket, on the half that swung open, was a relatively big paper, barely fitting inside the locket. Opening the paper, was small, formal writing, yet as Matthew read, he realized it was _directions._

It talked about unlocking a _lock._

"How…?" Matthew looked back up to Lukas, who gave a weak smile.

Matthew shoved the locket and sack back into his pocket. He reread the directions closely, it was a lockpicking spell. Matthew knew this simple spell, as he's used it before, an occasion he truly regretted.

Matthew finally located the rusted lock of the dark cell, clasping his hands over the lock.

He whispered the specific spell, feeling the soft creak of the old iron inside the casing.

"Stop!" A feminine voice rang through the corridor, yet it shook with fear.

Matthew lost his focus, losing the spell, and the lock returned to its original state.

Matthew felt rage bellow in his ears, frustration screaming from the depths of his body.

He wanted to scream at her, she was just so _idiotic,_ did she not realize his own position? What would happen if he mishandled that spell and caused a bigger catastrophe?

Matthew pushed away his anger, relaxing letting his shoulders rest once more.

"Yes?" Matthew refused to turn, his eyebrows arched downward, eyes still fixated on the lock.

Michelle shuffled her feet, she didn't know she would actually be able to stop Matthew, "U-uh, I'm not allowed- allowed to release these prisoners-"

"Prisoners? _Prisoners?_ In what world are they _prisoners?_ Is that how you have been treating them?" Matthew tightened his hands into fists, but slowly released his grip.

Michelle felt her back hit the cold metal of the jail bars as she retreated away from Matthew.

"Just leave, alright? Tell Francis I'm not coming to that meeting, I don't care if you tell him about the Scavengers, I'm leaving." Matthew continued the spell, finally able to break the lock. He heard Lukas give an exasperated sigh as he reached to wake the others.

Michelle scurried off, her arms at her chest.

Matthew held the gate open as Lukas carried a limp, possibly sleeping Emil. After Lukas, Matthias followed, his once bright spirit had died out.

Though, Berwald still splayed his straight, emotionless face, as he wrapped a supporting arm under Tino's shoulders.

Berwald nodded to Matthew, allowing him to close the door behind him.

"How do we get out?" Lukas asked Matthew, readjusting his grip on Emil's body, tucking him closer to his chest.

"The dungeon only has one exit or entrance, however, you think of that, but guards will be around," Matthew responded, pointing back to where Michelle fled.

Berwald perked up, starting ahead of the rest, "I thought you were on good terms with the King."

Matthew chuckled, "Sure, sure, but I wouldn't say it's the best of friendships."

Matthias made a smack with his mouth, "Say, who was that kid?"

Matthew turned, being the last in the line, "Yeah, I was going to ask you all, but…"

"Nobody." Berwald automatically answered, his tone rushed, a tone Matthew was familiar with.

Tino sighed, "He was like a son to us, for a short amount of time, of course. He came from the Spadian land- like you, except he was exiled, even at such a young age."

"He didn't make it through the winter." Berwald finished, hoisting Tino higher, carrying most of his weight on his own.

"I'm so sorry-" Matthew's heart sagged, his feet dragging against the stone.

"You shouldn't be-" Tino smiled heartwarmingly back to Matthew, Matthias still appearing to be confused.

"Wait a straight second, if the kid didn't make it, how was he there?" Matthias squinted, suspicious of both the other Scavengers.

"I don't know-" Tino started, interrupted by another voice.

"He became a Joker." The interrupting voice was Lukas's, cold, yet there was a hint of pain in his voice, "People who sacrifice freedom to be alive again, to finish what they started. Their whole life as a Joker is to finish that "unfinished business," then they finally die."

The air grew still, everyone was at a loss of words. Matthew knew if he said the wrong thing, it would mean a great loss to his name.

Lukas took a deep breath, letting himself relax before his expression returned to its resting look, "Let's just… keep going. We still don't know if there guards around here."

Matthew could tell that wasn't the only thing on Lukas's mind, though prompted to go forward since he didn't want to push into Lukas's personal thoughts.

The group seemed to drag behind Lukas, Berwald being the only one untouched by Lukas's outburst.


End file.
